Porto President Warns That Liverpool Target Ruben Neves Is ‘Not for Sale’

Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City and Juventus are all believed to have watched Neves in action, but Porto’s president Pinto da Costa insists he is not for sale.

Neves, 18, is attracting interest from a number of the continent’s biggest clubs after an impressive start to his Porto career.

Targeting Neves is a measure of West Ham’s newfound ambition and the deep-lying playmaker would be a welcome addition to any Premier League club.

Despite being identified during Brendan Rodgers’ reign at Anfield, new boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to maintain Liverpool’s chase for a player who became the youngest captain in the history of the Champions League against Tel Aviv.

“Ruben has a contract until 2019 and not until 2017, as sometimes I see in reports”. That is, he was a symbol and legend of the progress of the club for several generations.

Pinto was an iconic hero at Porto’s bitter rivals Benfica and Da Costa’s firm stance on the young teenager suggests Liverpool have a serious task on their hands if they plot to lure Neves away from the Portuguese giants.

‘I never want him to leave Porto.

“I hope that he stays for many years at FC Porto”, he said.

The Portuguese youngster burst on to the scene last season for Porto at just 17 years old, and has quickly become one of Europe’s most exciting prospects.